


Tell Me Where I Have to Go, and Then Love Me There

by Ithinkwehaveanemergency



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Love, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 06:54:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16868218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ithinkwehaveanemergency/pseuds/Ithinkwehaveanemergency
Summary: Five times that Eddie tells Buck that he loves him, and the One time that Buck finally gets it.





	Tell Me Where I Have to Go, and Then Love Me There

**Author's Note:**

> Title belongs to James Blake, from the song "Love Me In Whatever Way"

1.

 

Buck turns his head as the sound of boots stomp up the stairs.  He lets out a surprised laugh.

 

“Oh man, you look like a drowned rat.”  Buck swings his feet off the end of the couch and sits up fully to look at his coworker.

 

Eddie gives him a tight smile as he heads for the fridge.

 

“What are you doing here?”  Buck stands and follows Eddie into the firehouse kitchen, where the man is grabbing a Gatorade and chugging it down.

 

Eddie left at the end of his shift about 40 minutes ago.  Buck knows because he obsessively pays attention to Eddie's schedule.

 

Not that he admits it to anyone.

 

“Dude, my car broke down on the onramp to the 101.  I tried to call but my phone service is off which makes no sense at all but then I had to jog all the way back here in the rain because I need to figure something out to pick Christopher up...”

 

Eddie is panting from chugging the electrolytes and telling his story.

 

“Holy shit, Eddie.”  Buck approaches the upset man and leans onto the counter next to the fridge.  “What do you you need me to do? Look, I've got a change of clothes for you down in my locker and I've got triple A, I can send them to your car, they can probably tow it without you even having to trek back down there.  And you can take my car home as long as you pick me up for work in the morning. Chim can take me back to their place when we're off.”

 

“Seriously?”  Eddie eyes him in astonishment.  He heaves out a heavy sigh of relief and shakes his head at Buck.  “Thank you. I love you. I owe you. You are my saving grace.”

 

“Shut up.”  Buck laughs and punches Eddie's wet shoulder.  “Now go change before you catch your death, man.

 

Eddie grins and smacks a wet kiss on Buck's cheek before heading down to the locker room.

 

Buck sighs and starts dialing triple A roadside.

  


2.

 

Buck sits in the driver's seat, listening to Christopher tell him a joke as Eddie finishes up gathering his stuff at the station.

 

Christopher is a cute kid, definitely made of some tough stuff.  Parents were called to an emergency shutdown at Christopher's school and Eddie was out on a call.  With Buck listed on Christopher's emergency contacts, he was the closest logical person to swing by and get him.

 

“And so the duck said,” The ten-year-old laughs heartily before he can get the punchline of the joke out, “Put it on my bill!”

 

Buck laughs in surprise at the pun.

 

“Man, you got me.”  Buck reaches back for a high five.  “That's a good one. I'll have to remember it for future use.  I'll give you credit, don't worry.”

 

As Buck turns back to face the front of the vehicle, Eddie opens the passenger door and slides in.

 

“Oh man.  I'm so glad that shift is over.”  Eddie exhales with a groan before turning to his son.  “And now I get time with you? This day is looking up! How was your mom's last night?”

 

“Good.  We had popcorn and watched the Lego movie.”  Christopher grins at his dad and Buck can't help but smile as he watches in the rearview mirror.

 

“Nice, buddy.  What do you want to do now that you've got the day with me?”

 

Christopher pauses before answering his dad.  He looks up toward the rearview mirror in Buck's direction before grinning at Eddie again.

 

“I want to hang out with Buck.”  Chris nods finally.

 

Before Eddie can say anything or even look up at their driver, Buck answers back with a proposition.

 

“I would love to kick it with my two favorite dudes, but we have to do what I wanna do, is that cool?”

 

“Okay.”  Chris says with a nod.

 

“Well then.”  Eddie sits back in the passenger seat and arches an eye at Buck.  “What is it that you want to do?”

 

Buck puts the car in drive and starts toward the highway.

 

“I want to go to _Cielito Lindo_ for lunch.”

 

“Cool!”  Christopher yells from the backseat.  “That's Dad’s favorite!”

 

“Oh yeah?”  Buck smiles at Chris in the mirror before giving a sideways glance to see Eddie's reaction, because Eddie knows he's told Buck it's his favorite, every single time they drive by it.

 

Eddie is biting his lip and looking at Buck like he wants to tackle him with a hug.

 

Buck has to look away so that he doesn't flush too red with affection at the idea, but he hears Eddie sigh quietly next to him.

 

“God, I freaking love you, man.  You're my hero.”

 

Bucks shakes his head and keeps driving as Christopher asks his Dad if he wants to hear a joke.

  


3.

 

Buck’s apartment plan falls through.  He was expecting to move into a new place this week, but instead, he’s standing in the middle of Eddie’s living room staring at his phone in dismay.

 

Chimney and his sister were in a new relationship phase.  He doesn't want to impose on them again. It's bad enough they've been storing his things for the past couple months.

 

But Christopher is spending the next 3 days straight at Eddie’s since the man has days off in a row for once, and Buck doesn't want to impose on their time either.

 

“Everything okay?”  Eddie walks into the room with his work clothes on.  Buck is driving him there since they get off work the same time in about 11 hours, Buck only working a 5 hour cover shift today.

 

“Uh, no not really, but it's fine.”

 

“What does that mean?”  Eddie walks up to him, squeezing Buck's tense traps comfortingly.

 

“I didnt get the apartment.”  Buck sighs walks away to grab his keys from one of the hooks by the door.  “Its fine. I’ll figure something out. I'll be out of your hair tomorrow like planned.  You ready?”

 

Buck is stopped by a gentle hand on his bicep and he turns to see Eddie looking at him with a very judgemental frown.

 

“Buck, you can stay here as long as you need.”  Eddie shakes his head when Buck tries to argue. “No, seriously, man.  Just… stay. You're not intruding, if that's what you think. Christopher loves you.  You know that. I love you. You know that. We will always be here when you need us, man.”

 

Eddie pulls Buck in for a hug and Buck is too emotionally to hug back before Eddie is pulling away again an patting his cheek firmly.

 

“Now get me to work, driver.  I'm gonna be late.”

 

He walks out the front door and Buck watches him for a second before following, a fond smile spreading on his face despite his best efforts to keep it away.

  


4.

 

The benefit gala is less than halfway over when Buck contemplates pulling the fire alarm.

 

“You should see yourself from across the room.”

 

Buck looks up from his tumblr glass in time to see Eddie slide up to the bar next to him.

 

“Hen and Chim are cursing how you manage to look like the cover of a magazine in that tux, even with the awful bitchface you've got on right now, and the rest of us look incredibly unnatural.”  Eddie smirks up at Buck and he feels his face melt into a genuine smile for the first time all night.

 

“I just hate these things you know?”  Buck sighs and puts down his glass.

 

He stands up straighter, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his dress pants.

 

“When I was younger. I went to a lot of these things.  My mom was kind of important…” Buck shrugs, choosing to skip to the part where he just plain didn't understand people.  “I feel like no one at these things is ever doing the right thing for the right reason.”

 

When Buck looks to Eddie he's still leaning on the bar, biting his nail and listening attentively.

 

“My mom would bring us to these things because she wanted her image to show people that they'd be donating money to an organization that had a wholesome, solid, family-oriented woman at the helm.  And the people? It's like they would give money just to show how much they had to give.”

 

Buck looks across the room at a man who owns an oppulent, thriving local hospitality company.  They recently were called to his house for cardiac arrest and while receiving medical care, the man was yelling, threatening to sue if any of them so much as breathed a word to the press or his family about the mistress who had placed the 911 call.

 

Now, the man stands there, surrounded by people praising his generosity and good nature, and Buck wants nothing more than to tip his doting wife off about the report.

 

“I do want their money to go to the cause.”  Buck sighs, looking at Eddie once more. “Don't get me wrong, I'm glad their giving it, no matter the reason.  But it just brings back bad memories for me. And I wish I could find the goddamn fire sprinkler valve and set it off so that we can ruin their stupid designer clothes that cost enough to feed a family of 5 for a month and get the hell out of here.”

 

Eddie giggles - _he actually giggles-_ beside him before standing up straight and placing a warm, comforting hand at the small of Buck's back.

 

“Man, I love you too much to let you do something that stupid.”  Eddie keeps laughing as he lead them back to the table where Hen and Chim are chatting with a kind-looking, modestly dressed couple.  “Now, stop looking at Nazarian like you're going to murder him and lets go talk to the Renjens. They're the richest people here and they give 80% of their yearly earnings to charitable causes.  You can even tip them off about how you hate him and tell them not to do business with that sleaze.”

 

Buck’s mouth twists into a smile again, because even if he has to be here, at least he has Eddie, who always  understands him and his nonsense, right by his side.

 

5.

 

Buck beams at Christopher's answer to the last question and points to the diagram in the young boy’s textbook.

 

“And so that means that the earth surface is-”

 

“Anybody home?”  Eddie’s voice cuts him off and Christopher slides from his chair, grabbing for his crutches.  Buck instinctively goes to help him, careful not to get too forceful, letting him do most of the work.

 

“Dad!”  Christopher shouts happily.  As he walks toward the living room.  “Buck says I'm gonna ace my science test!”

 

“Oh yeah?”  Eddie’s voice is filled with mirth as he greet his son with a smacking kiss on the temple.

 

Buck enters the room with a soft smile in their direction and Eddie looks up at him to return it in kind.

 

“He is.”  Buck nods encouragingly.  “Kids got that shit on lock.”

 

“Hey!”  Christopher scolds, turning to send a dopey smile at Buck.  “Language.”

 

“Okay, Captain America.”  Buck rolls his eyes and leans against the entrance to the kitchen, where they'd been prepping for Christopher's test.

 

Eddie’s face is twisted with emotion and Buck flashes him a concerned frown but the older man is shooing his son toward the bedroom to get ready for bed, promising they'd go over his flashcards once more in the morning.

 

Christopher goes dutifully and Buck goes back into the kitchen to finish washing up from dinner.

 

“You're even cleaning up?”  Eddie's voice gasps dramatically from behind him a minute later.  “Have I mentioned how much I love you? Please never leave.”

 

Buck aims a smile down the the dishes and shakes his head at his closest friend's antics.  He hears Eddie putting away the leftovers from the counter as he finishes the dishes and when he turns around, drying his hands on a dish towel, Eddie is staring at him.

 

“What?”  Buck laughs.

 

Eddie doesn't answer, but he steps forward and laces his arms around Buck's waist.

 

Buck startles, but wraps Eddie in a hug in return as the slightly shorter man buries his face in Buck's neck and breathes heavily.  He pulls back suddenly and touches their foreheads together instead. Eddie softly drags the tip of his nose along the length of Buck's, a silent indication of what he wants to do.  When Buck simply makes a quiet, pleased with in response, Eddie leans in and closes the distance.

 

It feels like heat and pain and home all at once when Eddie finally presses their lips together.

 

Buck was expecting it would be sparks and lighting when it finally happened, but this was a hundred times better.  Instead, its like sinking into a steaming hot bath, or falling into warm sand on the beach. Its shockingly familiar and it soothes an ache that Buck wasn't quite aware he'd developed.

 

“Thank you.”  Eddie mumbles into Buck's skin when they've pulled away to breathe into one another's cheeks.

 

Buck tries not to shiver.

 

“Don't.”  Buck responds, speaking into Eddie's hair.  “God, you do so much for me, Eddie, you have no idea.  And it's not a repayment for that either. Being here with Christopher is a privilege.  It's a _gift_.  Don't ever thank me.”

 

Eddie burrows back into the hug and squeezes him tighter and Buck thinks he hears a sniffle, but Eddie is tearing away and walking back out of the kitchen to the other side of the house.

 

Buck can hear the soft whispers as he tucks Christopher into bed.

  


+1.

 

Buck is brushing his teeth in the hall bathroom, still contemplating the emotional moment in the kitchen, when Eddie appears at the doorway.  He's in low riding grey sweatpants that Buck is half-sure are fresh from Buck's clean laundry hamper. Eddie is shirtless, as usual when he goes to bed, and Buck aches to runs his hands over the skin.  Its stronger than ever before now that hes positive that the man would let him.

 

Buck spits and rinses his mouth before giving Eddie his full attention.

 

Eddie is looking at him like a puzzle.  Like a Buck has said something he can't quite figure out.  He looks at Buck's chest and then his drawstring pants before fixing him with a determined stare.

 

“You all ready for bed?”  Eddie asks.

 

Buck stares at him, the question not _entirely_ out of place, but seeing as how he's been staying on their futon for a couple weeks, it seems unnecessary.

 

Buck nods anyway.

 

“Stay with me.”  Eddie whispers without moving from his stance in the doorway.  He doesn't look away from Buck's eyes. His chest puffs out a little, like he's trying to look more confident in his request than he really is.

 

Buck thinks he's dreaming.

 

Not really, but it _does_ seem a bit like something out of a fantasy.

 

“Are you sure?” Is what he answers, and it's enough to make Eddie's shoulders sag in relief.

 

Eddie reaches out for his hand, tangling their fingers together and leads him into the master bedroom.

 

It seems pretty clear to Buck that Eddie isn't trying to seduce him.  This has gone far beyond that. Their hands part when Eddie pulls back the covers on the whole bed and scoots in toward the middle before reaching out for Buck's hand once more.

 

Buck settles into the center of the bed, flat on his back, and Eddie curls around him easily.

 

It feels perfectly natural to wrap an arm around Eddie's back, dance fingertips up and down his bare ribcage, and place a kiss into his coarse hair.

 

“I love you, you know?”  Eddie sighs.

 

Buck exhales out a laugh, because… No, he didn't _really_ know.  But he should have.  Eddie tells him all of the time.

 

“Yeah, bub.”  Buck tiredly kisses the top of his head again.  “I love you too.”

 

“I know you do.”  Eddie responds, nodding as much as he can in his position, not wanting to disturb the perfect feeling they've created.

 

They don't move until the sun comes up.


End file.
